Electromagnetic (EM) interference can cause detrimental effects on electronic systems. These effects may range from unwanted noise to critical system failures or information loss. In order to avoid these problems, it is necessary to shield electronic systems and components from EM radiation.
EM shielding is normally accomplished through the use of metallic or metallized enclosures surrounding sensitive components. Such shielding solutions tend to be heavy and bulky. They also usually require ports or other access points through the enclosure to connect components in the enclosure to non-shielded components or require openings to allow for sufficient cooling of components underneath the shielding. This may allow for leakage of EM radiation into or out of the enclosure. EM shielding can also be used to prevent the radiation of noisy components from affecting nearby susceptible components.
Alternate solutions for EM shielding include the direct application of films or coatings onto sensitive components. These films or coatings are non-removable and effectively prevent the coated components from being serviced or repaired. System boards so coated must be wholly replaced because the EM shielding film cannot be removed to allow for component maintenance/service, or the adhesive films must be removed using chemicals or additional cleaning techniques to remove remnant adhesives or residues.
It would be an advance in the art to create a conformal EM shield coating that can be easily removed to allow for maintenance of the underlying components.